Best Intentions
by With Good Grace
Summary: Just a little oneshot Basically how I think the piano scene in last night's episode should have gone down though I love that scene with all my heart.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N1:**** Hello! So I know this isn't my normal story but I had a random inspiration boost last night and wrote this until like….I can't say when otherwise some person will yell at me…Anyway, this is a little oneshot I'm quite proud of. Expect the next chapter by like Monday or Tuesday of my regular story. Also, the song Quinn sings is a song I wrote so yeah it's called Tomorrow…. I hope you guys like that as well. A little musical taste of me : ) As always, a huge thanks to my kick ass beta who edited this in like seriously 1 hour. Crazy! Enjoy! Comments/Reviews would be amazing. **

Rachel Berry shut her locker with a confident slam before making her way to the auditorium. The hallways were empty and exactly the way the young brunette liked them. Her pleated skirt swished back and forth as she held her song binder, complete with lyrics, staff paper, and seven perfectly sharpened pencils, tightly to her chest. Her stomach has butterflies, but not the good or reassuring kind. These were mutant butterflies. A knot in the pit of her stomach told her that this confrontation with Quinn would not be pretty. Unbeknownst to the blonde, Rachel had overheard her conversation with Finn earlier that day before lunch regarding the status of their relationship, which as far as Rachel was concerned, was still undecided. Just by looking at Finn's blank face and half smile, she knew he wasn't sold on the idea of dating Quinn again. And it was that ounce of doubt that Rachel clung to as she entered the deserted auditorium.

She approached the all-to-familiar black baby grand piano she had come to love with all of her heart. Quinn Fabray sat at the instrument, her nimble fingers absentmindedly playing a series of notes. A pair of hazel eyes rose as the music stopped to meet Rachel's now faltering eyes.

"You're late," she said with just a hint of venom.

Rachel's eyes averted Quinn's slight glare. She couldn't let Quinn know how frightened she still was of her wrath. With a deep breath, she asked her first and perhaps the hardest question to answer.

"We're friends, right?"

Quinn considered the inquiry, slightly taken aback by the abruptness of the question.

"Yeah, I guess so," she answered, a response the brunette certainly had not been planning on.

"Like," Rachel continued, "everything happened last year…you gave your baby to my mom we kind of bonded over it, right?"

Her heart was beating at a dangerous rate, but she paid no attention. All she concentrated on was Quinn.

"What's your point?" she almost snapped, but not entirely.

Before Quinn could object further, Rachel just spit it out.

"My point is that uh- I know we haven't spent a lot of time together this year but…I thought that we were…close enough to be honest with each other."

Quinn's eyes pierced through her with a burning, yet contemplative gaze. It felt like she was reading into the depths of her mind, trying to find a motive; and she succeeded, almost as if she knew what was coming all along.

"Go ahead," she said encouragingly before she gave Rachel the green light, "ask me."

"Fine," she stammered immediately, suddenly full of gusto that she had lacked a few minutes ago when those two eyes penetrated her like a laser beam.

"Are you and Finn together?"

It had been a question that occupied her thoughts almost twenty-four hours a day. Finn, long the object of her affection, had once chosen her over her sworn enemy but now, after their two break ups, had seemed to rekindle his love with the ex-cheerleader. And nothing upset her more than being rejected for someone as beautiful, smart, and bitchy as Quinn. She had to know. She had to know whether it was time to gather her weapons and fight for Finn's love.

"Yes," she said robotically, "it's been a couple of weeks."

Quinn saw Rachel's face falter, the news seeming to resonate deep within the starlet. She scoffed at her pettiness, the fact that she was still pining away after that doofus who deserved so much less than Rachel angered her more than she would like to admit.

"It's like Groundhog's Day with you, Rachel."

Her eyes leapt up, noting the lack of degrading nickname.

"How many times do you have to make the same mistake to realize that it's not going to work out?" she said coolly, not with the usual animosity she normally displayed toward Rachel.

Not this again, Rachel thought. Quinn was always trying to tear her down and prove to her that Finn never wanted her; but they both knew better.

"Well, thank you for being honest with me, Quinn. And-and I'm happy for you and Finn but don't go and try to rewrite history okay? It was real between us. He **chose** me over you," she retorted, knowing that was a fact even Quinn couldn't' dispute.

"And how long did that last for?" she asked again, though her lack of malice was beginning to annoy her now.

How could she say these hurtful things without yelling or screaming and still hurt her just the same? The worst part was that she couldn't even argue with that question. Her relationship with Finn was at best described as on and off but the reality was it was short lived. They couldn't hold it together longer than a few weeks. Quinn was right and that angered her more than anything. It also hurt her more than words could describe.

"Why are you being so mean?" she whispered with broken eyes.

The blonde rose from her perch to address Rachel more clearly. A flowing dress that halted at her knees complimented her flawless shape. As she grew closer, Rachel heard her inhale a shaky breath. Their eyes met momentarily and what she saw shocked her more than the news of the pregnancy; she didn't see the normal guarded, indifferent, cold eyes that haunted her day in and day out. The eyes staring at her were open, vulnerable, something she hadn't seen since the day Finn discovered the paternity of Quinn's child. She was fascinated by them.

"Do you want to know how this plays out?" she asked quietly.

She took Rachel's silence as a yes.

"I get Finn," she stated, "you get heartbroken, and then Finn and I will stay here and start a family."

Before Rachel could protest, she couldn't help but hear the sorrow, almost dread, in the blonde's raspy voice.

"I'll…become…a successful real estate agent a-and Finn will take over Kurt's dad's tire shop," she managed to choke out, her voice suddenly shaky and unsure.

As Rachel gazed into Quinn's eyes, she felt something she had never felt before when looking at the blonde: pity.

"You don't belong here, Rachel," she pleaded her eyes begging Rachel for forgiveness, almost offering her a truce, "and you can't hate me for helping to send you on your way."

Rachel was in shock; she had never seen Quinn like this before. She had never seen her so miserable, so vulnerable. At the same time, she had a nagging voice in the back of her head that was yelling "THIS IS A TRAP! SHE WANTS YOU TO FEEL BAD FOR HER!" Yet for some reason, she couldn't believe the voice.; that didn't mean she was aborting her plan to begin the same war with Quinn for the male lead of New Directions they had waged for almost two years now.

She shook her head and protested.

"I'm not giving up on Finn. It's not over between u-,"

"Yes it is!" Quinn exclaimed, causing Rachel to jump back with surprise, "You're so frustrating!" she cried as she slammed her hand down on the hollow instrument.

Her brown eyes widened with shock. Where was all of this anger coming from?

"And that is why you can't write a good song," she added, "because you live in this little school girl fantasy of life. Rachel, if you **keep** looking for that happy ending, you are never going to get it right."

Suddenly, she lost her voice. The harsh reality of Quinn's words hit her like a brick wall. The fact that she had the audacity to claim Finn was not what shocked her; what rendered her speechless was the fact that Quinn Fabray just said she, Rachel Berry, was going to get out of this town. It was almost as if she believed that Rachel was better than her and would escape this hellhole. Did she actually believe that?

"Let's just get back to work," Quinn said with a huff, trying to hide her tears and obvious pain.

Suddenly, Rachel didn't want to be around Quinn anymore; her stomach was churning violently as she envisioned Quinn's future. No, she couldn't think about this. She couldn't feel sorry for Quinn. Quinn was the enemy, the bad guy, her arch nemesis. She had a song to write, a song that didn't involve Quinn. It was too much. It was all too much. She was so overwhelmed that she decided to leave Quinn, forget about what had just happened and return to Finn, return to their fighting ways. It was so much easier when they hated each other. Now that Quinn has showed that she cares for Rachel in some small way, everything was complicated. And Rachel wasn't sure how to handle it. She wasn't sure if she should be infuriated and upset over the fact that she would never win Finn back or be determined to get Finn back, or be sorry for Quinn, or feel gratified in some way because Quinn believed she would be successful one day.

"Actually, I think I'll be writing this song on my own," she said before the tears she had been desperately trying to hide fell down her cheeks.

Just as she was about to exit full force ready with a new found vigor to prove Quinn wrong, her rapidly moving legs froze at the sound of a sob. A single sob that echoed throughout the empty theater. Rachel literally felt her heart break. She couldn't make her legs work; she simply stayed put behind a think black curtain, her ears in Quinn's direction, as she listened to her cries. Suddenly, she felt a desire to run back and take her into her arms and make her stop crying. That desire was quickly extinguished when the sobbing ceased.

Then, out of the silence emerged a single voice singing an unfamiliar song accompanied by a gentle piano.

_I am running from tomorrow_

_ And I don't know where I am going._

_ My heart keeps on pounding._

_ I don't know when I can stop._

Rachel felt her heart race as her ears eagerly drank in the sultry yet angelic voice emanating from the blonde sitting at the shining black baby grand piano. She knew who was singing, but the lyrics would have never pointed her in Quinn's direction.

_People ask me, what do I want?_

_ I can never give them the answer._

_ Why can't I answer?_

_ I don't know._

_ It's a question that haunts my mind._

The blonde's shoulders rose as her hands moved with purpose to the next chord. With a deep breath, she belted out the first chorus that sent a rush of chills down Rachel's back.

_Here I am._

_ Waiting, searching and hoping._

_ My mind is standing still and_

_ My legs are in constant motion._

_ But you stop me, and hold me tight._

_ Let me open my heart,_

_ Make me believe it's alright._

Rachel was silent. She watched with wide eyes as Quinn's fingers danced effortlessly from key to key, flawlessly playing a melody that would be sure to reverberate in the corners of Rachel's mind later on. Her feet refused to move and she was rendered frozen to the spot she had arrived in: her binder clutched too tightly to her body, her heart thrashing against her chest, mouth open slightly, eyes wide in shock and awe.

_So I keep running, running blindly_

_ Searching desperately for the answer._

_ Turning corners, crossing bridges _

_ But it is nowhere to be found._

_ So here I am _

_ I'm still waiting, searching and hoping._

_ My mind is standing still and_

_ My legs are in constant motion._

_ But you stop me and hold me tight_

_ Let me open my heart._

_ Make me believe it's alright._

As Quinn elegantly sang her run, a sudden realization hit Rachel. Quinn didn't want that future. She didn't really want to have Finn or become a real estate agent or raise a family in Lima. Quinn was settling though Rachel didn't understand why. She had everything. She had her prince charming, the intelligence, the connections, the beauty that would get her anywhere she wanted. Why should she expect such an awful future when she had the potential for greatness? Why was she limiting herself to a life she dreaded when it was more than possible for her to live one she loved?

_I'm still running, I'm still running_

_ I'm still running from tomorrow._

_ But the pain inside of me is numbing,_

_ The pain inside of me is numb._

_ I look to you_

_ You're loving eyes,_

_ And suddenly I can stop._

_ Stop the pain, stop the running._

_ Stop the never-ending suffering because_

_ Here we are,_

_ Trusting, kissing and loving._

_ There's no more hurt and there's no more pain_

_ Because it's me and you_

_ Me and you_

_ It's just me and you, ready to face tomorrow._

It all made sense now. Quinn wanted what she has wanted all of her life. She wanted to catch the first train out of Lima, the home that never really was her home. She wanted the opportunity to stand out for all the right reasons not because of popularity or from manipulating the system. Finn was all Quinn had left. High school was her last chance at being great and powerful. Deep down Quinn knew that once they graduated from this hellhole she would stay and Rachel would leave. But what was hurting Quinn was that she should want the future she previously described. She should want a husband, white picket fence, children running around happily while she cooked and cleaned while her husband worked for their food; but she didn't. Quinn was dreading the future, running from tomorrow and now Rachel knew that this wasn't some ploy to hurt her or discourage her from pursuing Finn. It was a warning, but it was not the same as the previous threats she had received from the blonde. This was a warning telling her to forget Finn and forget high school because in a few years none of it would matter. The slushies, the names, every word Quinn had yelled at her, the insults, the pornographic drawings, the pain and the hurts wouldn't matter once she made it to Juliard. And Quinn believed it with all of her heart.

Silently, with hot tears rolling down her flushed cheeks, Rachel approached the piano once more, though this time with nothing planned to say. Her back facing the fast approaching brunette, Quinn began to sob lightly, the movement jolting her body forward as she drew her face into her hands. The need to hold the shaking blonde grew with each step as Rachel's heart beat quicken and her palms moistened with sweat. Carefully, she reached out a trembling hand and placed it gently on Quinn's shoulder.

The blonde practically jumped off of the bench, her eyes wide with shock and cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Rachel!" she cried, her hands moving viciously to conceal her tears.

The brunette simply stared at the girl who used to terrify her more than any other human being on this earth. She stared into the eyes that use to send daggers her way whenever their paths crossed. The girl sitting before her was not the girl who called her Treasure Trail and slushied her daily. This was someone different; this was the real Quinn, the terrified, vulnerable, hurting, and miserable Quinn. Never had she seen the head bitch in charge so broken; she should have felt some satisfaction from this, some sort of cosmic revenge perhaps, but all she felt in the moment was sympathy and pain. She wanted so much to heal her wounds, hold her, put the pieces back together, and start over. She didn't deserve the future she was subjecting herself to; she deserved so much more. Yes, she had made mistakes but no one should have to settle for a life of misery.

Quinn's eyes locked with Rachel's in a gaze that left the brunette breathless. It said everything Quinn had ever wanted to say to Rachel, or to anyone that would listen.

_I'm sorry. Forgive me? I'm scared. Make it go away, make the pain go away._

"Quinn?" she asked softly, as she moved closer to the piano.

She sat down gently on the leather bench, her skirt draping over the furniture. With a small turn of the head, she gazed at Quinn with a surge of confidence. A single tear escaped from its hazel chamber and danced down a porcelain cheek.

"What?" the blonde breathed shakily.

Rachel's lips curled into a hopeful smile as she tentatively took Quinn's quivering hand into hers. The warmth that overcame her was remarkable and it filled Rachel's heart to the brim with something she had never felt in her entire life.

"**You** don't belong here either, Quinn," she whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hello! So, I know I said the last chapter of this story was the only one ever to be in existence but inspiration struck me earlier this week and this chapter was born. This, however, will be the last installment but I am much happier with how it ended this time around. Thanks to all who reviewed the last and I hope you give me your feedback for this one. As always, a thanks to my incredible beta whom without I'd be lost. Plain and simple although she can be a total creep sometimes ;) Enjoy! You are all so incredible : ) **

With nimble fingers, Rachel Berry applied her mascara meticulously while staring deeply into a mirror studded with gold light bulbs. Her reflection stared back as she switched from mascara to eye liner and then eye liner to eye shadow. It was the night of Regionals and tensions were running high among the New Directions. Rachel had written her song, the club had written theirs, and though they all believed their pieces to be two successes, none of them could be sure as to how the audience or the judges would react to the original songs. She had had several dreams of herself singing her heart out, leaving her soul on stage for the people to accept and love; but most frequently she dreamed of those people laughing at her or worse, staring at her in silence. She inhaled deeply, trying to settle her nerves. As she applied the layer of silver powder, her hand began to shake slightly. It hadn't happened before, but Rachel Berry was nervous. Those foreign butterflies were making their way around her stomach rapidly and though she had applied a light foundation, she looked paler than her normal shade. Of course, no one on her team noticed her change in behavior, or so she thought.

"Hey," a smooth voice said softly, causing the brunette to turn around abruptly.

Her eyes met the gaze of Quinn Fabray, the beautiful blonde who had spent the past two years torturing her. Never had she imagined that the ex cheerleader would have ever said the word "Hey" to her so quietly, so sweetly, or so nervously; and yet there she was drinking in the stunning girl in front of her. An aqua blue dress, a choice that Rachel had intensely protested but had been predictably ignored, hugged around her thin waist and flowed out to just about the beginning of her knees. A pair of tight black leggings spread over her toned legs only to stop leaving a few inches of porcelain skin exposed to the world. Her eyelashes seemed to be inches long and her hazel eyes, pierced with insecurities and pain the brunette would never know the half of because Quinn was well trained in the art of concealing her emotions, penetrated her deeply. Long blonde locks of silky hair danced down to her slightly broadened shoulders perfectly falling at the start of her dress. To say she looked beautiful would have been a colossal understatement. Rachel's breath caught in her throat as she felt her heart literally falter at the sight. Finally she regained her composure enough to utter out a greeting of her own.

"Hello, Quinn," she all but whispered, wondering where her voice had disappeared to.

Quinn smiled in return and took a seat next to Rachel as she continued to modify her look for the twelfth time. Her bottom lip slid in between her teeth in concentration as she contemplated on how to wear her hair. With one swift motion it was up in a loose pony tail. She huffed, unsatisfied with the look and then heard a quiet giggle release from the blonde's mouth.

"Here," Quinn took the long brown hair into her hands gently and smoothed it out carefully down Rachel's back, a motion that caused a series of chills to travel up her spine.

Her eyes lifted to the mirror and met her reflection, stunned by what the blonde had done in a matter of seconds. Rachel stared as Quinn's long fingers adjusted her bangs perfectly before releasing the breath she had been holding. Her long hair was simply down with her bangs swooping to just above her eyebrows. It was perfect.

"Thanks," she said as a flush of pink pervaded her cheeks.

Quinn shrugged and sat back down. Her eyes bore a pain that immediately grabbed Rachel's attention. As Quinn exhaled deeply, Rachel began to play with her fingers.

"Nervous?" Quinn asked knowingly.

Rachel looked to Quinn, normally unable to admit defeat especially to the blonde, but nodded nonetheless. She really was anxious about her performance. What if she let the entire team down because the audience didn't like her song, or worse she didn't perform it up to standard? Quinn ran her fingers gracefully through her hair.

"Don't be," she answered honestly to the admission.

Rachel's eyes widened.

"How can I not be? There is a theater full of anxious audience members awaiting my performance. What if they hate my song?"

Before Quinn could protest, Rachel lowered her volume, her voice suddenly raw and vulnerable.

"What if they hate me?"

A raging fury suddenly rose up within Quinn. How, after winning Sectionals for the club the previous year and having the voice that she possessed, was it possible for Rachel to believe that the audience would hate her? Her eyes blazed with anger but it was quickly subdued when she realized that she had to be gentler with Rachel. She had been lucky the last time when she upset the brunette; what if she was too harsh and caused Rachel to run away? She wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Rachel," she said tightly before finally calming down, "they won't hate you. Trust me."

"How can you be so sure they won't throw frozen beverages at me?" she asked in a voice resembling that of a young child that feared a monster under her bed.

"Well, for one they aren't selling slushies at the concession stand. Puck already checked. And two, it's impossible to hate you, Rachel."

Rachel's eyes snapped up. Impossible to hate her? Hadn't the blonde spent the better half of the last year trying to cement that very idea into her head, that everyone hated her, that she was a freak? Quinn sensed the shock and elaborated.

"Listen, I know I don't deserve you as my friend because of all of the horrible things I've done to you but let me be frank. I have tried so hard to hate you. I've spent years fighting you and trying to conjure up something about you that was worth hating. But I failed every single time. So, if I, your supposed arch nemesis and biggest enemy, cannot hate you then how can those complete strangers hate you? It's impossible, Rachel. Trust me."

Her eyes glistened with tears as Quinn's words warmed her heart. All throughout their sophomore year, Rachel had always tried to decipher the reasons behind Quinn's hate. What made her throw the slushies? Did she really have masculine hands? To learn now that it was all an act instilled more confidence in her than any "I love you" from Finn could ever instill.

"Thanks, Quinn," she whispered as a single tear ran down her cheek.

At the sight of the water, Rachel cursed herself for breaking. She had to perform in less than five minutes and here she was crying. Before she could reach the falling tear, Quinn's thumb caught it for her and wiped it gently away.

"What the hell, Quinn?" a deep voiced questioned with anger.

Quinn sighed with annoyance, giving the boy a roll of the eyes before turning towards the giant hovering above her. Her eyes wandered towards Rachel who suddenly looked small as she tried to conceal her freshly fallen tears.

"Nothing," she said curtly as she got up from her seat.

Just as she was about to leave, Quinn turned her head. Finn's back was towards her and yet Rachel was still staring intensely her way, ignoring the boy in front of her; Quinn threw her a soft yet encouraging smile.

"Hey," Finn breathed as he ignored the blonde exiting the dressing room.

Rachel sniffled.

"Hello, Finn," she said quietly.

"Listen, if Quinn's being a major bitch I'll put her in her place okay?"

Internally, the brunette laughed at the boy's ignorance. Quinn had been better to her in the past two days than he had been to her in the past year. And even if she had been a bitch to her Rachel knew Finn's promise was an empty one. The boy never supported her publicly or defended her from the insults or stopped the never-ending supply of slushy facials; it was only when the two of them were alone and he couldn't be humiliated or tormented for loving a loser like her that he complimented her or told her she was right. She knew well enough now not to count on Finn Hudson for anything.

"Everything is fine."

He smiled dumbly and obliviously at her, relieved to not have to press the issue of her obvious discomfort.

"Break a leg," he said with one of those half-smile things he was so famous for.

She saw right through it; he was the same hypocrite who left her for an indiscretion not nearly as great as his or Quinn's. Then, suddenly, Rachel felt herself brought back to one year ago. She and Finn were standing outside of the theater, smiling as the boy walked over to her with an awkward gait.

"Last time we were here you told me you loved me," she said softly, her eyes concentrated on her freshly painted nails.

He looked down, mouth open slightly, before responding. As always, the question received all but a nod as Finn ignored the statement to offer her a childish compliment; he would never change.

"I really like your song."

All that Quinn had told her about deserving more than the quarterback suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks. With a quick turn, Rachel was looking up at Finn with a newfound conviction to instead prove Quinn right rather than fight her advice; because she was right.

"Listen to the words because I really mean what I'm singing."

Finn nodded enthusiastically adding yet another dopey smile.

"Rachel Berry to stage right!"

Rachel jumped slightly, her nerves rushing back full throttle. She put her make up away in a hurry, checked herself one more time and then turned to leave.

"Oh, and Finn?" she asked before proceeding to the stage.

"Yeah, Rach?"

"Your tie is on backwards."

With that, Rachel began to make her way to the stage. When she was almost to her destination her eyes caught on the slender blonde waiting by the curtain. She gave her one final glance before she performed. The girl smiled brightly with a small nod, energizing the young star in ways nothing else could. She practically skipped out onto the stage.

The curtain was drawn and she grabbed onto the microphone stand that was acting as an anchor; another wave of nerves hit her. She turned around quickly, her eyes scanning the empty stage, and suddenly felt incredibly alone. Normally she loved the feeling of being the only one on stage but now she wished nothing more than to be surrounded by her friends.

_Get it together, Rachel_.

Then the velvet curtain pulled back to reveal the solo brunette basking in the spotlight of the empty stage. She drew a shaky breath as the piano began to sing its haunting introduction. Quickly she closed her eyes and imagined being alone again in the auditorium with Quinn's hand in hers.

_What have I done?  
I wish I could run away from this ship going under.  
Just trying to help, hurt everyone else  
Now I Feel the weight of the world is on my shoulders._

Her confidence built with each note as the music crescendoed into the chorus.

_What can you do when your good isn't good enough  
When all that you touch tumbles down?  
'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things  
I just wanna fix it somehow_

_ But how many it times will it take?  
Oh, how many times will it take for me  
To get it right._

She quickly grabbed the microphone, her hands grasped onto it as her lifeline, as Brittany and Tina joined her onto the stage. She smiled at their arrival. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, propelling her into the next verse.

_Can I start again with my faith shaken?  
'Cause I can't go back and undo this  
I just have to stay and face my mistakes  
But if I get stronger and wiser  
I'll get through this_

__

What can you do when your good isn't good enough  
When all that you touch tumbles down?  
'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things  
I just wanna fix it somehow

_ But how many it times will it take?  
Oh, how many times will it take for me  
To get it right_

Quickly, she turned towards backstage and met the gaze of an awestruck Finn Hudson. His lip curled into a half smile as he released a breath; but she soon became distracted by the blonde smiling back at her with a full fledged smile she had never seen grace the face of the beauty. With a nod of encouragement, Rachel flew into the bridge.

_So I throw up my fist  
Throw a punch in the air  
And accept the truth that sometimes life isn't fair  
Yeah, I'll send out a wish  
Yeah, I'll send up a prayer_

_ And finally, someone will see  
How much I care_

The entire club now joined the stunning young ingénue on the stage as they pushed through the choreography. Overwhelmed with happiness, Rachel felt tears well up inside of her as the feeling of accomplishment steadily increased exponentially as she belted out the pivotal note. As she sustained the note, she heard a cry of approval from the audience, a cry that almost caused her to break down then and there. They loved her. The audience truly loved her. She wanted to freeze the moment and live in it forever, on stage with her best friends as the crowd cheered and cheered for her to continue and she was happy to oblige. Then a hand found her free hand, causing a ripple of electricity to shoot through her. When she looked over to the owner of the hand, she was surprised to see Quinn's bright face gazing back at her confidently. Her heart pounded faster and harder as she shed an invisible tear, relieved that it wasn't the hand she had been expecting.

__

What can you do when your good isn't good enough  
When all that you touch tumbles down?  
'Cause my best intentions keep making a mess of things  
I just wanna fix it somehow

__

But how many it times will it take  
Oh, how many times will it take 

_ To get it right  
To get it right_

In that moment, her hand intertwined with Quinn's, Rachel felt as though she truly had for the first time gotten something right. Nothing seemed to matter as the crowd surged and she felt a gentle squeeze originate from the hand in hers. It didn't matter that Finn had dumped her. It didn't matter that she had cheated with Puck. It didn't matter that Quinn and Finn would be together even after everything that had happened since that day in the auditorium. She had gotten something right. The audience's applause never ceased, further cementing her accomplishment into the ground. A sudden rush of overwhelming happiness overcame the petite brunette that she had never felt before when performing. But it wasn't happiness; she couldn't place her finger on what to call the feeling. Sure, she had been applauded numerous times before but never had she felt like this. Never had a moment caused her so much joy. Part of it obviously had to do with the fact that she had just performed her own song that people actually enjoyed; the other part had to do with the fact that she had finally won the approval of the girl who had attempted to hate her for her entire existence, of the girl who had finally become her friend.

It was love that she felt rushing through her body but not the ordinary kind; it was the kind that if tended to with enough care could endure a lifetime. And Rachel had every intention to do so.


End file.
